While you are saving up for a whole house paint job - 1. Work out the exterior colour-scheme. 2. Paint the pickets around the base is the house, yourselves, if possible. I agree that it should be a dark colour, that works with your chosen final scheme. 3. Prepare garden beds along the front, choose appropriate shrub species and plant ASAP, with possibly something taller sweeping up to the left (of the photo) to break the strong horizontal "box" look. If you decide to change the stairs at some stage, you may have to remove a plant or two, but at least there will be an inviting entrance growing happily in the meantime. Have fun :)

Honestly, from the first photo you can barely see it so I don't think the problem is about the immediate aesthetics. BUT once you get closer it looks clumsy and like a trip hazard (sorry, but I think you know this already). If I were a buyer it would make me question what other works were done that perhaps could have been done better..... Some other people might have some really good ideas, but the two I have thought of are to either (1) put tongue and groove panelling down the hallway to about a metre high with a little ledge on top, which is quite a traditional, cottagey look, or (2) build a little ledge all the way along the right hand wall from the front door (stopping for doorways, obviously!) that is the same height and width as the first step and made out of the same wood and insert uplighters into it so that it lights the hall and looks like a deliberate design choice. Both those suggestions might be totally dumb, but it is the best I can think of for now.

Hi everyone, thank you all so much for your comments- each one has been really helpful & thank you to those who have complimented the work. I still fluctuate with whether I love it or not, but as jdublya says, i think its just a mid reno freak out! My original colour choice was a dark brown, but unfortunately following other suggestions, it ended up being black. Anywho I will continue to push through with all the other plans- light grey walls, white door frames and doors, and black handles. Then have a think about wall art - frames etc. Once all of that is done i will post an update and let you know if we decide to change anything with the stairs. Also thought I'd mention that the colour of the flooring on the first level has come out a lot more red than it actually appears in real life. I am quite excited to finish the project but of course with limited funds, 3 kids, 2 dogs and a kitten it takes a lot of time! Sit tight, will update as and when :) Thanks again all, your encouragement is encouraging ;-)

I'm just trying to work out -- is this 1 house or 2 units ? Why I ask is that the right side has established gardens and the like , whereas the left is left fairly plain ? As Maye says , a timber garage and entry door plus maybe a palm or similar garden on the left side , similar to the right side would all help . Even though the place looks 80's , with the block wall rendered and painted , the cedar or similar garage door , a left side garden , and even basic upgrade like tinted glass screens on the terraces ( even that stick on film will last a couple of years , maybe $1000 installed , but personally I'd go actual tinted glass even if it was $4-5k . Generally I prefer houses that look their era , but theres actually enough that has modern elements that you could , if you wanted , spend $100k and make it look 2000's , and without knowing your area or values , you'd probably get that and more back if/whem you resell , and have something more modern looking in the meantime .